There are known in the art electrostatic copiers which employ as a developer a suspension of toner particles in a carrier liquid, as distinguished from those electrostatic copiers which use a dry developer which may, for example, be a mixture of toner particles and particles of magnetic material. Copiers of the liquid developer type are superior to the dry developer copiers in that their operation generally is more trouble free and, consequently, they require less frequent servicing. They do not involve the use of powdery material which may become entrained in a stream of air and be deposited in places other than image areas to be developed.
While, for the reasons pointed out hereinabove, liquid developer copiers are in many respects superior to dry developer copiers, liquid developer copiers of the prior art are not adapted for use in environments such as on shipboard where movement of the vessel may cause the liquid to spill or, at least, to run over parts of the machine which it is generally desirable to keep free of developer liquid. In addition proper copying cannot be achieved under relatively severe tilting of the copier.